What does redact a PDF mean?

Redacting a PDF means permanently removing or blacking out sensitive content — names, addresses, account numbers, social security numbers, signatures, or anything else that shouldn't be in the published version. Proper redaction has two parts: a visual black rectangle covering the content, AND a content-stream scrub that actually deletes the underlying text from the PDF. Without the second part, anyone can recover the redacted text by selecting it, copying, or running text extraction — the famous redaction-fail problem that's burned governments, law firms, and Fortune 500 companies repeatedly.

How do I redact a PDF?

Drop the PDF on pdfedit.com/redact-pdf. The editor opens with the redaction tool active. Drag a black rectangle over any text, image, or region you want gone. The redacted content is permanently removed — visual cover + content-stream scrub. Save the redacted PDF. No account, no upload, no Adobe Pro.

How do I redact a PDF for free?

Use this tool — 100% free, no signup, no daily quota, no Adobe Pro $19.99/month subscription. Drop the PDF, drag rectangles over the content to redact, save. The redaction runs entirely in your browser using pdf-lib.

How do I redact a PDF without Adobe Pro?

Use pdfedit.com/redact-pdf. Adobe Acrobat Pro charges $19.99/month for redaction; ours is free, runs in your browser, and provides the same content-stream scrub Adobe does (visual cover + underlying text deletion). The difference: Adobe also runs server-side in their web version (your PDF uploads to Adobe's servers); we run 100% locally.

How do I redact text in a PDF?

Drop the PDF here. After the one-time permanence warning, drag a rectangle over the specific text you want to remove. The text is deleted from the PDF's content stream — it's not searchable, not selectable, not extractable, not recoverable from the saved file.

How do I redact information on a PDF?

Same answer — drop the PDF, drag rectangles over the information you want gone (names, account numbers, signatures, photos, anything). The redaction deletes both the visual content and the underlying text data.

How do you redact in PDF?

Three steps: (1) drop the PDF on this page; (2) confirm the permanence warning; (3) drag rectangles over what you want gone. Save when done.

Is this PDF redaction tool free?

Yes. 100% free forever — no trial, no premium tier, no per-file charge, no daily quota. Adobe Acrobat Pro charges $19.99/month for the same feature.

No. The redaction runs entirely in your browser. This matters MORE for redaction than for any other PDF operation — the content you're redacting is by definition the most sensitive thing in the document (legal privilege, PII, trade secrets, healthcare data). Uploading a PDF to redact it on someone else's server is structurally backwards. Smallpdf, iLovePDF, PDF24, and Adobe's web version all upload. We don't.

Is the redaction permanent?

Yes. The redacted content is permanently removed from the PDF's content stream — not just covered with a black rectangle. Search engines, OCR tools, copy-paste, and text-extraction tools all return nothing for the redacted region. This is what Adobe calls 'true redaction' and what court rules require for legal filings.

What's the difference between redaction and a black rectangle on top?

Critical difference. A black rectangle on top of text (using a markup tool, image, or basic 'cover' tool) only hides the text visually. The underlying text is still in the PDF — anyone can select it, copy it, run text extraction, or use OCR on a screenshot to recover it. Real redaction (what we do, what Adobe does) deletes the underlying text from the content stream. Visually identical, but the data is actually gone. The Manafort court filing scandal in 2019 was a famous redaction-fail where a US prosecutor submitted a 'redacted' filing where the text was just covered, and journalists copy-pasted to reveal the contents within minutes.

Can I redact images and signatures, not just text?

Yes. The black rectangle covers anything in its bounds — text, images, signatures, scanned content, lines, shapes. The visual cover is opaque black, and any text under the rectangle is also content-stream deleted.

Can I undo a redaction?

Inside the editor session, yes — Ctrl+Z works on redact rectangles like any other element. After you Save and download, the redaction is permanent in the saved file. There's no recovery from a saved redacted PDF (which is the whole point — if redactions could be undone, they'd be useless).

Why is the confirmation modal there before I can redact?

Same reason Adobe shows one — redaction is permanent in the saved file. The one-time modal makes sure you're not redacting accidentally. After confirming once per session, you can drag as many redaction rectangles as you want without further prompts.

Is redacting a PDF legal?

Yes — redaction is the standard practice for filing legal documents publicly while protecting privileged or private information. US courts, the GDPR (EU), and HIPAA (US healthcare) all explicitly require redaction for certain content categories. The legal question isn't whether redaction is legal, it's whether the redaction was done properly — which is why content-stream scrub matters more than just a black rectangle.

Is there a file-size limit?

No artificial limit. Memory is the only ceiling.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes — iPhone Safari, iPad, Android Chrome — though redaction is much more accurate with a mouse than a finger. For high-stakes redaction (legal filings, medical records) use a desktop.

Does it work offline?

Yes once the page has loaded. The PDF Edit engine is cached in your browser.

What is the best free PDF redaction tool?

For privacy-first redaction with no upload, no Adobe Pro paywall, and true content-stream scrub (not just a visual black rectangle), we believe pdfedit.com is the best free option. For desktop-only batch automation, Adobe Acrobat Pro is the gold standard but costs $19.99/month and requires the desktop app. Most other free 'redaction' tools online either upload your file or only draw a black rectangle without scrubbing the underlying text — neither is acceptable for genuinely sensitive content.

Redactar un PDF — Gratis, in tu navigator, sin Adobe Pro

Ennegri permanentemente texto sensibile, nomines, numeros de conto, signaturas e imagines. Ver redaction del fluxo de contento — non solmente un rectangulo nigre super.

Drop a PDF — the editor opens with the redaction tool active. Drag a rectangle over anything you want gone (text, images, signatures), and the redacted content is permanently removed from the file. Visual black box plus underlying content-stream scrub: search engines, OCR tools, and text-extraction utilities all return nothing where the redaction sits. The same engine the PDF Edit editor ships, running 100% in your browser. No upload, no signup, no Adobe Pro $19.99/month paywall.

100% Gratuite Pro Semper Nulle Conto Necessari 100% Sur Tu Apparato Cryptation de Grado Militar

Le files nunquam lassa tu apparato

Cryptation AES-256

Nos non pote vider tu documentos

Nulle connexion requirite

Proque solmente local importa plus pro redaction que pro alcun altere cosa

Redaction es le un operation PDF ubi le contento que tu labora super es, per definition, le contento le plus sensibile in le documento — privilegio legal, datos personal, secretos commercial, datos sanitari. Totevia, omne altere instrumento de redaction online gratuite — Smallpdf, iLovePDF, PDF24, le version web de Adobe — te face cargar exactemente iste contento a su servitores ante de te lassar redactar lo.

That's structurally insane. Le tote scopo del redaction es que le contento sensibile non debe quitar tu controlo. We run the redaction in your browser tab. There is no server-side copy of your PDF — pre-redaction or post-redaction.

Depone tu PDF hic

Sin necessitate de carga. Le instrumento redact se activa automaticamente quando tu PDF carga.

Como redactar un PDF — Passo per passo

Depone tu PDF

Drag any PDF onto the dropzone above, or click Selige PDF to browse. The file loads into your browser memory only — no server upload at any point.
Confirma le aviso de permanentia

Un dialogo unic avisa que le redaction es permanente — le mesme aviso que monstra Adobe Acrobat Pro. Clicca Continuar pro entrar in le modo redact. (Tu vide isto solmente un vice per session.)
Trahe rectangulos super le contento sensibile

Trahe un rectangulo nigre super alcun texto, nomine, numero, signatura, o imagine que tu vole disparite. Cata rectangulo dele le contento subjacente del fluxo de contento del PDF — non solmente le coperi visualmente.
Salva le PDF redacte

Click Save to download. The redacted content is permanently gone from the saved file — anyone who opens it in Acrobat, Preview, or any text-extraction tool gets nothing back where the redaction sits. Isto es permanente: keep an unredacted copy of the original if you might need it later.

Ver Redaction vs Designar un rectangulo nigre

The single most important thing about PDF redaction: coperir texto visualmente non es redaction. If you use a markup tool, image overlay, or basic "cover" feature to put a black rectangle on top of text, the underlying text is still in the PDF file. Anyone can:

Clicca e trahe pro seliger le texto «redacte» — il es ancora ibi como texto
Copia e colla le selection — contento integre recuperate
Aperi le PDF in alcun editor de texto → le texto es in plan XML / fluxos de contento
Lancea OCR super un screenshot del pagina pro recuperar le portion visibile

This is the famous fallimento-de-redaction problem that has burned governments, law firms, and Fortune 500 companies. The 2019 Manafort court filing where US prosecutors "redacted" a document and journalists copy-pasted to reveal the contents within minutes is the textbook case.

Real redaction (what we do, what Adobe Acrobat Pro does, what court rules require) has two layers: quadro nigre visual coperiente le contento, AND mundification del fluxo de contento that actually deletes the text from the PDF's underlying data. Visually identical, but the text data is genuinely gone.

Redact PDF vs Adobe Acrobat Pro, Smallpdf, iLovePDF, PDF24

Function	PDF Edit	Adobe Acrobat Pro	Smallpdf	iLovePDF	PDF24
PDF cargate a un servitor?	No — 100% local	Si (web) / No (scriptorio)	Si	Si	Si
Costo	Gratuite pro sempre	$19.99/month	Gratuite + pagate	Gratuite + pagate	Gratuite + pagate
Conto requirite?	Nunquam	Si	Nivello gratuite limitate	Nivello gratuite limitate	Nivello gratuite limitate
Ver redaction del fluxo de contento (texto vermente delite)?	Si	Si	Varia per nivello	Varia per nivello	Varia
Aviso de permanentia?	Si (confirmation unic)	Si	Limitate	Limitate	No
Limite quotidian?	Nulle	Nulle (pagate)	2 cargas/hora gratis	Nivello gratuite limitate	Basate super le nivello
Marca de aqua super le sortita?	No	No	Nivello gratuite: alcun	Alcun instrumentos	No
Functiona offline post le carga?	Si	Scriptorio si / web no	No	No	No

Pro un redaction unic super un documento sensibile, le calculo es brutal: paga Adobe $20/month pro le redaction proprie con le application de scriptorio, o usa un del instrumentos web gratuite que carga tu contento sensibile a su servitor. O usa isto — gratuite, local, con le mesme mundification del fluxo de contento que Adobe forni.

Qui redacta PDFs?

Advocatos + paralegales

Pleitos judicial, production de discoperta, responsas FOIA / records public. Le regulas judicial in le major parte del jurisdictiones de US require ver redaction (mundification del fluxo de contento) pro alcun documento deposite publicamente que contine contento privilegiate o personal.

HR + recrutamento

Compartir le curriculum de un candidato internemente con revisores, ma redactar su nomine + information de contacto pro mantener le screen sin prejudicio. O redactar datos de compensation de litteras de offerta ante de compartir.

Administration sanitari

Records coperite per HIPAA compartite pro recerca, secunde opiniones, o assecurantia — identificatores de patientes redacte ante de compartir.

Conformitate + audit

Documentos financiari compartite con auditores, regulatores, o consilieros externe — numeros de conto, nomines de clientes, e valores de secreto commercial redacte secundo le scopo.

Governamento + records public

Responsas FOIA / records public ubi partes de un documento es retenite sub exemption — ver redaction es le standard legal pro lo que es publicate.

Alcuno qui comparti un PDF sensibile

Extractos bancari con numeros de conto, IDs con adresses, contractos signate ubi tu vole compartir solmente le terminos clave — redacta lo que non debe viagiar.

Que significa Redact in PDF?

In the PDF context, "redact" means remover o ennegrir permanentemente le contento de un pagina PDF, in a way that the removed content cannot be recovered from the saved file. The word comes from editorial usage — "to redact" originally meant to edit a document for publication, including censoring sensitive parts. In digital PDFs, proper redaction has a specific technical meaning: both the visible content (covered with an opaque black rectangle) AND the underlying content-stream data (the actual text bytes in the PDF file) are removed.

Cosas commun a redactar:

Identificatores personal — nomines, adresses, numeros de securitate social, numeros telephonic, adresses de e-mail
Detalios financiari — numeros de conto, numeros de carta de credito, numeros de itinere bancari, valores de salario, summas de transaction
Privilegio legal — communicationes privilegiate inter advocato e cliente, productos de labor, summas de accordo
Secretos commercial — formulas proprietari, listas de clientes, nomines de fornitores, datos de precio
Sanitate — nomines de patientes, diagnoses, datas de tractamento, prescriptiones (coperite per HIPAA)
Signaturas + photos — ubicunque appare un signatura, photo de ID, o altere identificator visual

Questiones frequentemente demandate

Como redacto io un PDF?

Depone le PDF in le pagina super. Le editor se aperi con le modo redact active. Trahe rectangulos super le contento a remover. Salva.

Como redacto io un PDF gratis?

Usa iste instrumento — 100% gratuite, sin registration, sin quota quotidian, sin abonamento Adobe Pro $20/month requirite.

Como redacto io un PDF sin Adobe Pro?

Usa pdfedit.com/redact-pdf — le mesme redaction del fluxo de contento que Adobe forni, gratuite, in tu navigator, sin carga.

Que significa redactar un PDF?

Remover o ennegrir permanentemente le contento sensibile de un PDF de un maniera que le contento removite non pote esser recuperate. Ver redaction = quadro nigre visual + mundification del fluxo de contento. Solmente coperir texto con un rectangulo NON es redaction.

Como redacto io texto in un PDF?

Trahe un rectangulo super le texto. Le texto es delite del fluxo de contento del PDF — non cercabile, non seligibile, non extrahibile.

Como redacto io information super un PDF?

Mesme responsa — trahe rectangulos super le information que tu vole disparite (nomines, numeros de conto, signaturas, qualcunque cosa).

Es le redaction permanente?

Si. Le contento redacte es permanentemente removite del fluxo de contento del PDF. Motores de recerca, instrumentos OCR e utilitates de extraction de texto, omnes redde nihil pro le region redacte.

Que es le differentia inter redaction e un rectangulo nigre?

Un rectangulo nigre super solmente cela le texto visualmente — alcuno pote copia-collar pro recuperar le texto subjacente. Ver redaction (lo que nos face) dele le texto subjacente del file. Visualmente identic, ma le datos es vermente disparite.

Pote io redactar imagines e signaturas?

Si. Le rectangulo nigre coperi qualcunque cosa intra su limites — texto, imagines, signaturas, contento scandite.

Pote io disfacer un redaction?

Intra le session del editor, si (Ctrl+Z). Post Salvar e discargar, le redaction es permanente.

Es mi PDF cargate?

No. Le redaction occurre completemente in tu navigator. Isto importa plus pro redaction que pro alcun altere operation PDF — Smallpdf, iLovePDF, PDF24 e le version web de Adobe omnes carga. Nos no.

Es legal redactar un PDF?

Yes — redaction is the standard practice for sharing legal documents while protecting privileged content. US courts, GDPR, and HIPAA all require redaction for certain content. The legal question is whether the redaction was done ben — which is why content-stream scrub matters.

Ha il un limite de dimension de file?

Sin limite artificial.

Functiona super mobile?

Si, ma le redaction es multo plus precise con un mure que con un digito. Usa un scriptorio pro redaction de alte stake.

Functiona offline?

Si, post que le pagina ha cargate.

Qual es le melior instrumento gratuite de redaction PDF?

Pro redaction privacy-prime sin carga, sin barriera de pagamento Adobe Pro, e ver mundification del fluxo de contento, nos crede que pdfedit.com es le melior. Pro automation de scriptorio / lot Adobe Acrobat Pro es le standard auree ma costa $19.99/month.

A proposito de iste instrumento: Le motor de redaction hic es le MESME instrumento redact que nostre editor principal forni — depone tu PDF, e le editor se aperi con le sub-modo redact del instrumento marcator pre-activate. Un sol fonte de veritate, sin codice de redaction duplicate. Le PDF nunquam quita tu apparato — le quadro nigre visual E le mundification del fluxo de contento ambes occurre completemente in tu navigator via pdf-lib.

Last updated: 2026-05-13